August 31, 2011

One woman, Entisai Ali, began arguing with cops over the amusement park's head scarf, or hijab, rule, said Dena Meawad, 18, of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.

The ban, which is not Muslim specific, was imposed about 3 years ago mostly to prevent hats from falling onto the tracks of roller coasters and other rides, park officials said.

What is the actual rule? No hats? The ban was "not Muslim specific," so what was it exactly? If you read far enough into the article, you finally get to this:

Peter Tartaglia, deputy commissioner of Westchester County Parks, said the Muslim American Society of New York was warned in advance of the rule barring head scarves on rides for safety reasons.

The rule barring head scarves? That paraphrase dissserves Tartaglia, but at least they finally give us a direct quote:

"Part of our rules and regulations, which we painstakingly told them over and over again, is that certain rides you cannot wear any sort of headgear," Tartaglia said. "It's a safety issue for us on rides, it could become a projectile."

You cannot wear any sort of headgear...

Many Muslims were given refunds as they left the park disappointed.

"In this heightened state of Islamaphobia, a woman wearing a hajib is an easy target these days," said Zead Ramadan, president of the Council on American-Islamic Relations - New York.

I'd say they were the opposite of an easy target. It was, in fact, very difficult to hold them to a rule that applies to everyone. They demanded a special exception, caused a scene when the didn't get it, extracted refunds, and brought some terrible press to the park and the police.

It could have been from anywhere in the country, and God know I get my fill of it here in Michigan thanks to Dearbornistan.

Bleeding heart dhimmi newspaper trumps the "muslims are victims, American are evil racists"..muslim isn't a race, it's a relgion, ideology, government, etc..Readers see right through it, with the inevitable exception of a few libtards.

I was left with one nagging question:

Why were the muslims getting a refund, since they are the ones who caused, at least in part, the park closure and ride closure for everyone else??

It wasn't just the muslims who could not go on the rides--nobody else could either!

She just wanted to get on a ride. That was it," Dena Meawad said of the initial confrontation. "It's clear, this all happened because we're Muslim."

What hubris! Hint to people everywhere, not everything in life is personal. Sheesh.

"We requested a refund and all of a sudden an argument became a riot,"

Yeah. 'All of a sudden'. These things just happen somehow!

the Muslim American Society of New York was warned in advance of the rule barring head scarves on rides for safety reasons. "Part of our rules and regulations, which we painstakingly told them over and over again, is that certain rides you cannot wear any sort of headgear," Tartaglia said.

I love the use of "painstakingly". You can tell how irritated that guy is. So, the group knew the rules, they just thought they could ignore them. And then a riot "all of a sudden" happened. It's a mystery how!

"Part of our rules and regulations, which we painstakingly told them over and over again, is that certain rides you cannot wear any sort of headgear," Tartaglia said. "It's a safety issue for us on rides, it could become a projectile."

Certain rides.

Don't go on those rides.

My daughter told me something that happened at the park near us, don't know if it's an urban legend or not.

Since they were told in advance and went anyway, this was obviously an attempt to challenge the rule.

As already staed, "projectile" is the least of the dangers when you are not in an enclosed cabin, have relative movement and rotating machinery, and you have something around your head and neck. Since Muslims believe that taking someone's head makes them your slave for eternity, this rule actually spares them that fate. It's pro-Muslim!

The linked article was not so much about the ban on headgear but about the cops' reactions and aggression against the muslim people. Not complying with the playland rules doesn't mean some NY thug with a badge gets to jack you and family members with a billy club.

So, had they been allowed to ride and a bolt of fabric wrapped around one of these women's head and neck managed to jam itself in the whizzing gears of a roller coaster ride and rip off said wrapped head, would that have happened clearly because the now headless woman was Muslim? I'm a little confused as to where we draw the line regarding what things happen to us clearly because of our protected victim classes.

Browndog gets to the nub of it. Islam itself in ALL its manifestations is TOTALLY incompatible with Western Civilization. I'll say it for the nth time: "Moderate" Muslims are "moderate" only insofar as they are like American Cafeteria Catholics who ignore basic tenets of Catholicism yet somehow delude themselves that they are "good Catholics" in order to fully partake (whatever THAT means) in a largely secularized civic culture. Those who faithfully hew to the true spirit and written text of the Koran CANNOT reconcile themselves with the civic culture of the West. It is the "moderates" who are the lapsed--NOT the "radical" Muslims who are but faithful followers of the teachings of their religion.

wv:accurant--yes, VERY accurate and/or current--take your pick..saaayy, I've just stumbled onto a new word, sort of like mis-unederestimate! LOL!

Hey Raul the dyslexic Romneytard --this is one of your PC lib-rall days, chump? Maybe we link to some of your neo-nazi writing, or your LDS rants. You're a rightist--always have been-- even to the right of the Alt-tards . Now, don't you have some tee-shirts to sell, perp.

You're the one who needs a burqa, Allen the Log Cabin joto. Make some more jokes, perp.

The Atards are too stupid for Constitution, or the newspaper for that matter. Muslim women can wear scarves. The ride rules are another matter. But the cops have no right to bust heads merely for them not complying.

"They demanded a special exception, caused a scene when the didn't get it, extracted refunds, and brought some terrible press to the park and the police.

We get this:

"These yellow maggots are infecting our country. They will not stop until Shira Law rules America."

"The same rule would apply to some cracker-assed white hippie chick if she had a long scarf around her neck. Go fuck a goat."

"When what they are after is deference to a supreme Islam."

"Fuck you CAIR."

"They will never subject themselves to American law/rules, or any "man-made" law for that matter."

"Islam itself in ALL its manifestations is TOTALLY incompatible with Western Civilization."

And of course, after this parade of bigoted comments, many of which relate to how Muslims could NEVER adjust to or "respect" our culture or way of life, could NEVER be REAL Americans; an honest to goodness, real, red, white and blue American takes the time to throw the President of the United States into the mix:

"We were discussing this in context of Obama's drunken illegal alien uncle who has a fake social security card and probably is also getting SSI and welfare."

Muslims + Amusement Park Problem = Obama?

*By the way: Onyango Obama, 67, has had a license since at least 1992, the farthest back the Registry of Motor Vehicles has electronically stored records, agency spokesman Michael Verseckes said.

The fact that he had a driver's license indicates Obama had a U.S. Social Security number. ("To obtain a license in Massachusetts, you need a valid Social Security number and you need proof of residency," Verseckes said.)

Hoosier - As I said before, I do understand specific rules, but I've been to Disneyland on a number of occasions, just recently in fact, and I saw all kinds of men wearing baseball caps and women wearing scarfs and hats.

Different parks, different rules perhaps?

With all that is happening in America, I just think the medias coverage of this story just feeds into people's bigotry:

And of course, after this parade of bigoted comments, many of which relate to how Muslims could NEVER adjust to or "respect" our culture or way of life

Well, I don't know about all Muslims, but the ones who went and caused this undue commotion certainly aren't adjusting!

I remember playing indoor soccer and getting penalized for wearing a necklace with a cross. I didn't read the regulations for the league and they specifically cited no jewelry for safety reasons and wearing of such would result in a 2 minute penalty. My first instinct wasn't that they were being anti-Catholic.

The fact that he had a driver's license indicates Obama had a U.S. Social Security number. ("To obtain a license in Massachusetts, you need a valid Social Security number and you need proof of residency," Verseckes said.)

You absolutely sure it's victimhood? How about the possibility that people get tired of being beat over the head with the "everyone should be equal" stick for a couple of generations, only to find those same people crying out for special exemptions every time one turns around.

Nothing will piss people off quicker than a double-standard. Add coercion from authority to double-standard and you're not going to go long without incident.

Hoosier - As I said before, I do understand specific rules, but I've been to Disneyland on a number of occasions, just recently in fact, and I saw all kinds of men wearing baseball caps and women wearing scarfs and hats.

Different parks, different rules perhaps?

You're not suggesting Disney is like Cedar Point, are you?

Cedar Point is geared towards roller coasters, Disney is not.

Can't wear flipflops on some of the rides in our park, they'd be lost.

Can't do a couple of activities if you're wearing flipflops either.

If you have heart problems, you're not supposed to go on certain rides. Or pregnant.

Restrictions are everywhere.

Height, weight, I was at Disney and the woman was so fat they couldn't lock the belt, she had to get off.

"... Hoosier - As I said before, I do understand specific rules, but I've been to Disneyland on a number of occasions, just recently in fact, and I saw all kinds of men wearing baseball caps and women wearing scarfs and hats..."

I was just at Disneyworld lady year and was asked to remove my hat on several rides and I did without throwing a temper tantrum.

With all that is happening in America, I just think the medias coverage of this story just feeds into people's bigotry:...."

So ignore a story that makes a certain group look bad. Gotcha.

"It is when victimhood is a central part of your existance."

And I stand by that. Quit expecting to live by different rules and cry RACISM when things don't go your way. Muslims aren't a race anymore than Christians are.

Holding anyone at this blog (hell, in this very thread) but the writers of the specific comments responsible is akin to blaming all Muslims for 9/11, no? You're just practicing another version of bigotry.

Raul, when I worked in the pressroom, we had to have steel toed shoes and wear ear protection at all times. Failure to do so would result in your termination. Those were the rules. I was on someone elses property. Why do you think that our employer made us do that?

"... I think you're just embarrassed and don't know how to get away from what you know is true..."

What that some people dislike Muslims? So what? A lot of people hate evangelical Christians and I don't see any grand movement to grant them protected status. People like Bill Mahr or Joy Behar routinely mock Christians and have nice careers to show for it.

Are we to assume that if a regular ol' American woman, visiting the park on a rather windy day, would not be allowed to wear a scarf to keep her hair in place? Does anybody really believe that?

Yes? It’s a safety hazard. You can’t wear a hat to cover up your bad hair day, either. If your religion requires you to wear a hat/scarf/doorag, then you don't ride a roller coaster at that park. They knew this going in!

First: We are different than youSecond: Your rules do not apply because we are different.Third: We cannot follow your laws because we are different.Fourth: We have our own laws and should follow them. In your country.Fifth: Our laws are superior to your laws:Sixth: You should follow our laws.Seventh: You WILL follow our laws.

Do you separate the "we hate the president" description of the "tripe" that goes on here every day from the "tripe" and "we hate the president" that followed the Bush administration around for eight years on liberal sights?

Hands down, braids and scarves are a lot more dangerous than a baseball cap. If the object is 'safety' and not 'fairness', then it's perfectly understandable that baseball hats would be overlooked when scarves (which often go around the wearers neck) would not.

If the object is 'fairness' well, then, good luck because all sense goes out the window at that point.

*Ever see anybody wearing a baseball cap at an amusement park? Think they ALL make you take it off to get on a ride?

All you have to do to ride the ride is take off your hat, it’s not that hard to take it off, stuff it in your bag or stow it with the park people, and pick it back up on the way out. People do it all the time.

What that some people dislike Muslims?

I don’t dislike Muslims, I dislike people who are told the rules before they go somewhere, then go there expecting the rules to be ignored for them just because, and then afterward whine about the rules being “obviously” because they are Muslim. As I said before, it’s pure hubris and self absorption. Not everything is about you! If you don’t want to take off your scarf, don’t ride a roller coaster.

As for your comment relating to Obama, that's just part of the usual conservative "we hate the President" tripe I can find here every day.

And it's still irrelevant to to the topic at hand.

A.) I am the one who made a comment about Obama's drunken uncle.

B.) It is entirely relevant to the topic. Because the topic is about people getting or demanding special dispensation from obeying the rules (of the amusement park) or the laws (of this country) based on ethnic status. Obama's uncle is an example of a person breaking the laws (illegal immigrant) and getting away with it.

The muslims in the park demanded that they be exempt from the safety rules and claim that it is because they are a "special" class.

The rules of the park are for everyone. They knew the rules going in and still made a big deal and claimed that they were being discriminated against.

Either the rules are for everyone or the rules/laws are meaningless and need not be adhered to by anyone.

Hoosier - "In other words, you don't want to discuss that the Muslim patrons acted stupidly."

Once again, for those with a reading comprehension problem: What does a patron, Muslim or not, have to do with the bigoted comments I posted?

Are you actually trying to say that if a black person was acting stupidly, you wouldn't feel it out of line to refer to them as a ni**er? How about a woman? Would it then be fair to refer to her as a bitch or how about a c**t? How about a Jew? Is Kike okay with you?

You're not making yourself look any better with these silly arguments.

Isadora Duncan was killed when her scarf drifted into the spokes of the open sports car in which she was riding. It choked her to death (the scarf put a "chokehold" on her for the benefit of our Wisconsin readers who are expert in that concept.) Had she been wearing a baseball cap she would have been fine. There is, in other words, a reason why a particular form of "head covering" can be dangerous and another not. Even the dumbest wearer of head scarfs should be able to grasp this concept. As should any liberal.

"Wear a hat or sun visor and sunglasses, especially in the summer. If it’s not a hat with a string, remember to stash it with your sunglasses in the pocket provided on rollercoasters so it doesn’t fly off."

The group was informed ahead of time of this rule (which was good thinking on the part of Rye Playland). Did they pass the message along to their members?

If there were 3000 people in the park from that group and quite a few of them were in headscarves and only a handful of them displayed this jackassery, I wonder if they did and some of the members just didn't pay attention. Alternatively, the group failed to inform its members but most members declined to cause a fuss.

Other question: if they closed the park for a couple of hours, did non-Muslims also get refunds? It was preannounced and, presumably, posted on signs that you couldn't wear headgear on the rides, but nobody could have anticipated the two-hour closing when they bought their tickets. People who relied on an assumption that rides would be open should be given at least as much compensation as people who relied on an assumption that the posted headgear rules wouldn't be enforced.

Since this "story", as you call it has to do with people not following the laws or rules and "special" classes of people, it IS relevant.

The Obama's uncle incident is fresh on the news AND is egregious because of the political implications.I could just as easily picked a story about the hundreds of thousands of illegals in California who will never be deported because of their supposed victim class. Boo hoo they only came here ILLEGALLY so they could work under the table and pay not taxes or with fake social security number or stealing numbers from legal citizens. They get to break the laws with impunity.

The "stories" are the same. Breaking the laws, ignoring the laws, ignoring the rules and getting special treatment.

The disgust with the amusement park story has nothing so much to do with the Muslim status as it has to do with the double standard of some people obeying the rules/laws and others not. I would be just as annoyed if it were a bunch of redneck scarf wearing hillbillies. :-D

Pogo - When someone arbitrarily throws out the comment relating to Muslims, that "It is when victimhood is a central part of your existence," I don't think it's "arguing in bad faith" to question it's relation to any "facts."

"... if that's the crux of your argument, why post or defend bigoted comments that are irrelevant to your supposed point?.."

I didn't post or defend bigoted comments.

"..when YOU post this: "It is when victimhood is a central part of your existance."

Are you saying you believe that "victimhood" is really a "central part" of a Muslim's existence?.."

I believe it is for CAIR which seems to come running screaming RACISM!!! for any perceived slight.

"...ALL Muslims feel they are victims?.."

Don't know about all but this particular group apparently feels the rules should not apply to them and if they do its RACISM!!!!

Being a multi cultural society doesn't mean each culture, ethnic group or religious follower should get to buck the rules because they think they're special.

I wonder, do you get this upset when people like Bill Mahr mock Christianity? Or upset over movies like Davinci Code cause it challenges Christian faith? Or are you like most liberals who think that's brave and edgy?

A Pew poll recently reported that half of U.S. Muslims believe their leadership should vocally oppose islamist terrorists. Seven percent of U.S. Muslims believe its fine in certain circumstances to deploy suicide bombers.

Hoosier - "I wonder, do you get this upset when people like Bill Mahr mock Christianity? Or upset over movies like Davinci Code cause it challenges Christian faith? Or are you like most liberals who think that's brave and edgy?"

First of all Maher is a comedian, and an Atheist to boot so he has the same right as you do to tell people what he does or does not believe.

And now you're complaining about a fictional novel challenging Christian faith?

Do you understand what "fictional" means?

I'm not defending the Muslim faith, I don't give a rat's ass about any of them, but posting bigoted or ridiculous "victimhood" comments in relation to this silly amusement park story is just plain stupid.

"These yellow maggots are infecting our country. They will not stop until Shira Law rules America."

I usually read down first, but I had to stop here.

Do you, Sir or Madam, have the slightest idea that neither the religion of Islam nor the fanatic sects within give one single crap about race?

I mention this because of the inherent stupidity of equating religion to race.

I also mention it because it provides a delicious opportunity to point out that, in this aspect only (so far as I know), you have displayed greater ignorance and hatred than the "yellow maggots" you so loathe.

"They demanded a special exception, caused a scene when the didn't get it, extracted refunds, and brought some terrible press to the park and the police."

Oligonicella said...

I believe the part I bolded is incorrect.

@Oligonicella - Unfortunately, many Daily News readers will just have scanned the headline, and gotten the idea that the park has a "head scarf ban," which implies an anti-Muslim bias not found in the story.

The Muslims here were idiots, but the reputational harm came from the headline writer, who it should be said is normally not the same person as who wrote the story.

You say I argue in bad faith, and at the same time you refer to Londonistan as some kind of example of Sharia Law infesting our American legal system?

Show me where this has taken place.

Raul, a New Jersey judge ruled that a woman's rape was legal because the rapist, her husband, was Muslim and the rape was permitted under Shariah:

This court does not feel that, under the circumstances, that this defendant had a criminal desire to or intent to sexually assault or to sexually contact the plaintiff when he did. The court believes that he was operating under his belief that it is, as the husband, his desire to have sex when and whether he wanted to, was something that was consistent with his practices and it was something that was not prohibited."

The appellate court overturned him, but can we count on that happening always?

I can see a ban on scarfs, but headgear? Does that include a ban on the wigs worn by some Orthodox Jewish women? Wouldn't long hair and pony tails be more dangerous than a hat?

Islam allows the hijab to be adjusted so that it is not a danger of being caught in machinery, so what exactly are we discussing? A formfitting scarf, or a turban, or a scarf that goes around the neck, or a scarf that goes only around the head, or a baseball cap?

1. Playland is owned and run by Westchester County. It's an infamous patronage pit, has been for decades. 2. The signature ride is called the Dragon Coaster. The dragon has sawed off teeth after somebody imprudently stood up many decades ago and was decapitated. They're a little touchy about that sort of danger to this day. 3. The county executive, a Mr. Astorino, is currently a Republican.

I once applied for a job as chemist at a refinery, but they informed me that if I was hired I would have to shave my beard, because all employees were expected to wear a respirator in the event of a fire or other accident. A respirator won't seal against face hair.

I declined the position because my beard hides a nasty scar that I picked up on an IFR approach to DFW involving a wayward flock of VFR geese.

Perhaps I shouldn't mention it, because I have given the grievance theater crowd another whip with which to flail us, but I don't care. Bring it on, wimps!

I once spent a summer working in a large amusement park. The employees called the visitors "animals", for good reason. We endured incredibly abusive behavior from the public, much of it rising from the desire to avoid payment for park entry, souvenirs, amusements and food.

It would be interesting to know how long the "maltreated" had been in the park and at what point in the day they decided to seek discrimination. I suspect that the alleged discrimination occurred after hours of park enjoyment, at a point at which they were only too happy to be sent home with a full refund.

The alleged/provoked discriminatory event was a two-fer: a full refund after a day at the park plus media attention.